Kingdom Hearts: Rhythm in Motion
by Mallobie
Summary: AU When 17 year old Riku Xanderville finally became a Keyblade Master, he thought his family's struggles were finally over. The poor young Summoner had no idea how wrong he was... RikuxNamine VanitasxOC implied VanitasxRiku My first fanfic. Please review. Ch 7 is up!
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: The following contains elements and characters from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs.**_

_**AN: Hello, I'm Mallobie, nice to meet you! What you are looking at right now is my very first fanfic. Please review, but be nice, won't you? Thank you!**_

Kingdom Hearts: Rhythm in Motion

Prologue

"_For centuries, The Order of the X-Blade_ (**AN: the 'X' is pronounced as either "key" or "kye"**) _has stood watch over the worlds of Kingdom Hearts, keeping themselves and their greatest treasure, The X-Blade, a secret from the other worlds. Each member of this secret society carried a Keyblade, a powerful weapon based off of The X-Blade, both to protect themselves and to identify themselves to other members. _

_For many long years, there was peace and tranquility in the worlds, but, one day, Xehanort, a Master in the Order, came to believe that the elements of Light and Darkness had become unbalanced; there was too much Light, and not enough Darkness. To that end, Xehanort gave himself up to the Darkness within his heart, and set about planning an event that, in his corrupted mind, would restore the balance; a second Keyblade War. As the first war had caused millions across the worlds to die, as well as being the reason why the original world had split into pieces in the first place, The Order tried to stop him. However, Xehanort successfully corrupted the mind of Vanitas, a young Knight in The Order, and made him believe that the 'restoration of the balance between Light and Darkness' would give him the power to protect his younger twin brother, and fellow Knight, Ventus, from any threat. _

_With Vanitas' aid, Xehanort was able to invade and destroy The Land of Departure, the home world of The Order, and banish nearly all of its members to The Realm of Darkness one by one, including the children._

_One of The Order's leaders, Master Eraqus Xanderville, and his three greatest Knights, Terra Blitzer,_ _Aqua_ _Reyes, and Ventus Henderson,_ (**AN; Don't ask**_) pushed Xehanort back and spirited The X-Blade, the item Xehanort needed to restart the war, away to an unknown location, out of his reach. Enraged by this, Xehanort banished first Terra then Aqua to The realm of Darkness with the others, and Ventus was flung in as well, sent there by his own corrupted brother._

_Upon realizing what he had done, Vanitas turned on Xehanort and helped Eraqus defeat him, but the damage was done, and the Master was lost as well. With his plans thwarted, Xehanort cursed Vanitas and retreated, leaving the boy to wallow in his own grief and remorse…"_

Mysterious Tower

It was quiet at the Tower, as it always was. In his personal chamber, Master Yen Sid, a tall, elderly sorcerer with a long grey beard and blue robes that touched the floor, sat at his desk, poring over a large tome. The book was written in a language most would find unrecognizable and illustrated with pictures of people swinging large keys over their heads. Yen Sid looked up as a knock sounded on his door. "Come in," he called. His former apprentice, Mickey, a mouse dressed in red, entered the room, carrying a book similar in size to the one Yen Sid was reading.

"They found a new one in the ruins, Master Yen Sid."

"So I see." Yen Sid took the book from Mickey and set it carefully onto a pile of other books. He frowned.

"There are still two volumes from the collection that are missing. I hate asking them to do more salvage work in such a dangerous place, but-"

"-These books carry the history of The order of the X-Blade in their pages. New trainees will find them useful in their learning," Mickey finished. Yen Sid nodded and turned to the large, panoramic window behind his chair. In the distance, the red and orange buildings of Twilight Town, the refuge of those who had survived the destruction of The Land of Departure, glowing dully in the early morning sun. Xehanort had destroyed The Order of the X-Blade twelve years ago, and for ten years Yen Sid and Mickey had struggled with salvaging as much as they could from the ruins of The Land of Departure, and searching for new Keyblade Wielders in the hope of rebuilding The Order.

Finally, a few years ago, they had begun locating new wielders en masse, The Order was quickly rebuilt, and it had been growing at a faster rate as time went on. Of course, it was comprised primarily of children, but still… Yen Sid turned back to Mickey.

"Go to Twilight Town and give The New Order my request to find those missing volumes. Also-"

Yen Sid reached into one of his sleeves and pulled out a small roll of paper, which he handed to Mickey.

"-Deliver this to them as well. I'm sure it will be of interest to them." Mickey saluted, tucked the paper into a pocket, and left, closing the door behind him. Yen Sid returned to the window. Xehanort's power was growing, and the awful rumors of what he was doing with his power only made the situation worse. Still, if anyone had a chance of stopping Xehanort once and for all, those two boys did…

Twilight Town

Mickey hurried along the path leading away from the Tower. Twilight Town had grown a great deal in recent years, and he genuinely hoped he wouldn't lose his way down there. It never ceased to amaze the mouse just how far The New Order had come in such a short time. They were all young and far less experienced than nearly everyone in The Order had been. What they lacked in experience, however, they made up for in youth, vigor, and fierce determination.

Mickey quickened his pace as the perpetual sun grew brighter. They'd be getting up soon, and he wanted to be there before the "work day" started, as once it did, he'd be there for hours before he'd get the chance to speak to them.

Mickey dropped down into Twilight Town's Central Station Square as a shortcut. Now, did he go right or left? The last time he had done this; he had gotten lost, and spent an hour being chased by a bunch of inquisitive kids! Okay, he was pretty sure he was supposed to turn left at this point. Then, a right at the next turn, and past two residential areas. Next, a quick run through a vacant park to a quiet street where no one was up yet. Mickey proceeded to the end of the street to the last building on the right.

It was a double building; a store in front with a wide, three-story house behind. The house had been painted a neutral beige color, with a dark red plated roof, just like so many other buildings in this town. The windows on the house were clean with white curtains drawn over them. There was no door to the house from the street; the only way in from the front was to enter the store and proceed to the back of it. Unlike the house, which was ordinary, the store was something else entirely. It was red in color, with an orange roof, long windows, and a green and blue door with a long window in the direct middle of it.

The inside of the store was dark and a sign hanging from the inside of the door read, "Sorry. We're closed." Good. He had made it in time. With a satisfied nod, Mickey tilted his head back to look at the large, multicolored sign that announced the name of the place, "Rhythm in Motion".


	2. Chapter 1: Morning Chaos

**Disclaimer: _The following contains characters and elements from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs._**

_**AN: I wish to apologize in advance for subjecting you guys to what I refer to as Character Overload in the First Chapter. I do this every time I write a story, I am not kidding! Also, this Chapter is a little slow. Bear with me and no flames Please!**_

_**I don't know if anyone's noticed, but I've been doing some updating and editing, in this chapter in particular. As always, please review.**_

_****11/18/12** Okay, thanks to fellow writer Yue Asuka, it has been brought to my attention that these chapters are spaced kinda tight. I apologize, you guys. That must have been hard to read! Thank you, Yue! As always, review please!**_

Chapter 1: Morning Chaos

Riku's alarm went off at 5 a.m. The same time it always did. The 17 year old sat up in his bed and stood up to open his bedroom window, allowing the early morning sun to flow into the light colored room. He then immediately launched into his morning routine: make his bed, wash up, get dressed, brush his hair, and proceed downstairs.

Today he wore a white, sleeveless shirt with black and yellow trim, a black belt, light blue jeans, and white lace ups that matched his shirt. On the back of his shirt was an embroidered, winged heart shape outlined in black. Brushing his hair was a simple matter of making sure that the silver lengths that hugged his shoulders fell straight down. (**AN**: **It's Riku's outfit from KH:** **DDD, with his hairstyle from KH1. I don't like his hair in DDD!**)

He then left the room and walked to the room next door on his left, pulling on a pair of black wristbands, one on each wrist, as he went. Opening the door, he moved to a bed in the room's far corner and gently shook the figure huddled beneath the blankets.

"Xion, come on sis. Time to get up." A sleepy, blue eyed girl with short black hair sat up and looked at him while he opened the window next to the bed.

"I'm heading downstairs, sis. Make sure you're up if you want breakfast," Riku told her.

Xion smiled. "Alright, Big Brother."

"Don't call me that. You're the same age as I am."

"You're older by half an hour."

Riku shrugged, not interested in starting a pointless argument with his twin sister. "Whatever you say, sis."

Xion was giggling while Riku left the room, closing the door behind him. He made his way down a carpeted staircase to a clean, semi-metallic kitchen. There, a spiky, brown haired boy dressed in highly detailed, primarily black, clothing sat slumped over the kitchen table, sleeping in his hands. Riku shook his head and lightly kicked the boy's leg to wake him up.

"Sora, what's the point of getting up early to help me cook breakfast if you're just going to sleep at the table?" Sora yawned and stretched before standing up. He turned to his best friend and grinned.

"Sorry, Riku. Here, just let me get- Whoa!" As he stepped forward, Sora promptly tripped over a leg of the chair he had been sitting in, knocking the chair over. Riku grabbed his friend's arm, stopping him before he hit the floor face first. Sora grinned sheepishly at him as Riku yanked him back onto his feet. Sighing, Riku bent down and righted the chair.

"Good morning. Guys! Breakfast ready yet?"

Sora and Riku turned to face the blonde boy who had entered the kitchen. He had sapphire blue eyes, the same shade and color as Sora's and his hair was spiky too, but the spikes were neater, more narrow. Unlike Sora, who was dressed predominantly in black, this boy was wearing tan pants, a black shirt with a short sleeved tan jacket, black shoes, and a black and white checkered wristband on one wrist. Riku smiled at him.

"Actually Roxas, breakfast is _not _ready yet, but thank you for volunteering to help."

As Roxas moved towards a refrigerator in a far corner, grumbling to himself, Xion and two other girls arrived to help the boys.

Riku glanced at his sister and shook his head, amused. Apparently, Xion had taken a complete inventory of what her brother was wearing and had decided to replicate it with a more feminine touch. Her shirt was white and sleeveless with black and yellow trim, and a black embroidered, winged heart shape on the back, exactly like the shirt Riku was wearing. The black belt and black wristbands she was wearing were also the same. However, she was wearing a light blue jean skirt and navy blue, knee length stockings rather than jeans, and a pair of short white boots instead of lace ups.

Xion smirked at Riku and kissed him on the cheek, then kissed Roxas before helping him pull a large pan out of a cabinet.

One of the two girls who had entered with Xion, a girl with long, light blonde hair dressed in a short white dress, and a pair of white sandals decorated with small white flowers, walked up to Riku and put an arm around him.

"Good morning," she said as she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. Riku smiled at her.

"Namine."

Riku turned and began measuring flour and water while Namine pulled out milk, eggs, cinnamon, and apples.

Behind them, Sora and his twin brother Roxas began tossing a bottle of syrup back and forth while Xion and the other girl, Namine's twin sister Kairi- a girl with shoulder length, reddish brown hair in a short pink dress decorated with zippers and short, pink and white boots- watched.

A wavy blonde haired boy- dressed in a black shirt, a camouflage vest, camouflage three-quarter pants and camouflage sneakers- named Hayner, ran into the kitchen and took the syrup bottle in midair, prompting Sora and Roxas to run around the kitchen chasing him, all three of them laughing their heads off.

Xion and Namine then set about cooking as many eggs as would fit into the large pan.

A dark haired, blue eyed boy in a red shirt and baggy jeans named Pence and a girl with wavy brown hair , green eyes, an orange tank top, orange three-quarter pants, and white shoes named Olette, came in and began loading plates and glasses onto the kitchen table, which was larger than most.

Riku and Namine put the finishing touches on a batch of pancake better they had been making together, and Riku took the mixing bowl and began pouring generous sized circles on to a hot griddle.

"Hey, I'll handle that."

Riku turned to see Seifer, a tall blonde boy dressed in blue and grey, reach out to take the bowl from him. Behind him, Siefer's friend Rai, a tall, dark skinned, dark haired boy dressed in red and black, was wrestling the syrup bottle from Hayner, while Riku and Xion's cousin Fujin, a red eyed, short silver haired girl dressed in tan and navy blue, silently maneuvered around them, adding napkins and silverware to the table. Riku smiled at Seifer.

"I appreciate it, Seifer, but-"

"I'll handle this. You need to get the store ready for opening. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

"Thanks, Seifer."

"You go ahead and take Namine with you. Everything's under control here," Seifer smiled confidently. Riku's smile widened teasingly.

"And the triplets, Seifer? They need something to do that doesn't involve crashing into walls, or the ceiling, for that matter." Still smiling, Riku pointed to three small girls trying and failing to put a bowl of fresh fruit on the table without smashing it. Seifer stared at the three girls, flummoxed. Riku grinned and approached the leader of the girls, a girl with light brown hair that was mostly short save for one long braid at the back of her head, dressed in a white shirt with pink edging and a blue skirt and blue boots. She had one blue eye and one green eye. She smiled at Riku as he approached.

"Yuna, why don't you take Rikku and Paine and go help Seifer?" Yuna looked at her sisters; Rikku, a bouncy girl with green eyes, a tall blonde ponytail, and dressed in a yellow shirt, orange shorts, and tan boots nearly did a backflip, while Paine, a stoic girl with red eyes and silver hair, dressed completely in black save for a red belt, nodded her head quietly. The three then dashed off, leaving Riku to catch the poor fruit bowl and set it on the center of the table.

Leaving the kitchen with Namine behind him, Riku made his way to entry of the stairs and the overly furnished living room. There, a group of young men, and one young woman, in their mid twenties were sitting, all looking a little tired. The nearest one, a black haired man named Dilan, handed Riku a key.

"The main floor is clean. All we need to do is stock a few shelves."

Fujin's older brother Even, a man with green eyes and loose blonde hair that nearly reached his elbow, added, "The ice chest is full and the appliances are in order."

Even's friend, a tall, brown haired, stern faced man named Aeleus, nodded in agreement. Luxord, a blonde man with a goatee playing with a deck of cards, grinned cheekily.

"Not to worry. Everybody pulled their own weight. Even Marly and Arly over here."

Marluxia, a green eyed man with shoulder length, light pink hair, and blonde Arlene, his girlfriend and Luxord's sister, both glared at him.

Namine's older brother, a slate haired man named Ienzo, looked up from the book he was reading. "Lea and Myde spotted a problem with the lights. They're fixing it now. Once they're finished, we can start stocking the shelves. Please don't worry about the state of the store. Everything's nearly ready."

Riku gave a reluctant nod and was about to thank Ienzo when a door on the far side of the room banged open and three people walked in. Dilan's brother Lea, a tall, green eyed young man with crazily red spiky hair, gave Riku a cocky smile.

"Light's fixed!" he announced. His friend Myde, a young man in his early twenties with blue eyes and a blonde mullet, nodded in agreement and rubbed his hands together.

"Did the kids blow up the kitchen yet?" he joked.

The third person to walk in kicked the door shut and glared at Myde before approaching Riku. He was very similar to Riku in height and appearance, but he was dressed in black and dark red, and his eyes had a harder edge. Riku smiled at him warmly.

"Good morning, RR." (**AN: "RR" is pronounced as "Double R",** **okay?**) RR stared at him, then patted Riku's arm in reply.

"The street outside is safe," he said in a hoarse, barely audible whisper.

Riku nodded. "Thank you, RR. Why don't you go to the kitchen with Dilan and the others? Breakfast should be ready in a minute." RR's eyes narrowed momentarily, and then he nodded.

While RR and the others moved off in the direction of the kitchen, Riku looked at Namine and nodded in the direction of the stairs.

"I'm going to get my other siblings up. At the moment it's just me and Xion who are awake." Namine nodded and walked off to the kitchen while Riku went back upstairs.

Upon reaching the landing, he stopped and frowned. A brown haired girl in a pink shirt, a white short sleeved jacket, , a dark green skirt, boots, and carrying a black stuffed cat was standing next to a door, staring at it.

"Shiki, what are you doing?" The girl jumped and turned to face him. She smiled nervously.

"Hi, Riku, uh-"

"Downstairs Shiki. Now." Shiki scuttled past Riku and ran downstairs. The door she had been watching opened and a light orange haired boy in a long purple shirt with a high collar, white shorts, purple boots, and large purple headphones over his ears walked out and approached Riku.

"Big Brother." Riku turned away from the stairs and hugged the second oldest of his four younger brothers.

"Hey, Neku." Neku closed his eyes and leaned against his older brother, prompting Riku to kiss the top of the younger boy's head.

"Are you alright? Is your cold still bothering you?"

Neku shook his head. "No, I'm okay."

"Alright. Breakfast is about ready. Do you need help getting to the kitchen?"

"No. I can do it."

"Alright. Just take it slow, okay?"

Neku nodded and began to shuffle slowly downstairs.

A second boy walked out of the room Neku had just left. He was wearing a white sleeveless shirt, tan pants, sneakers, a black hat with a small skull on the front, and a chain on one side of one leg. Tufts of blonde hair jutted out slightly from under his hat. He smiled at Riku glowingly.

"Hey, Bog Bro'. Watcha doin'?"

"Getting the six of you up, Beat." Neku's twin smiled and pointed over his shoulder to the room he and Neku had just vacated.

"Joshua's out like a light-"he pointed to the room next over

"- but Rhyme's up. She's just waiting for you to come get her."

"Where's Hope?"

"Oh, he already got up and left to wander around town."

"Without anything to eat first? Typical of him." Riku smiled and patted Beat's shoulder.

"Thank you, Beat."

Leaning close, he whispered, "Keep an eye on Neku, won't you? Don't let him over exert himself."

Beat smiled and whispered back, "Always the one taking care of everybody, aren't ya, Big Bro'?" Beat took off.

Riku entered the room the room his four brothers shared between them. T here, he found his youngest brother, blonde haired Joshua, asleep, tangled up in blankets. Riku walked up to his bed and shook the younger boy's shoulder.

"Joshua, time to get up." The boy groaned and turned over. Riku shook him again.

"Joshua." Finally, he sat up.

"About time, Joshua. Breakfast's ready. Get downstairs or you won't get any." As Joshua pulled himself out of bed and reached for a shirt and a pair of jeans, yawning, Riku left the room and went to the next one, where Rhyme, the youngest of Riku's family and his one other sister besides Xion, pounced on him the second he opened the door.

"Big Brother!" She screeched. Her yell hurt his ear, but it didn't bother him as he held his "baby sister" in his arms and kissed her forehead. Her blonde hair was hidden by a black hat similar to the one Beat wore, -with a larger skull on it- and she was dressed in a long sleeved, light orange shirt and white overalls. Her sneakers accidentally kicked his knees and she kissed his cheek to make up for it. Riku carefully lowered her to the floor and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ready for breakfast?" She looked up at him excitedly.

"Pancakes?!"

"Yes."

"Yay!" Seizing her brother's hand, Rhyme pulled Riku down the stairs and into the kitchen, where everyone else was seated at the table. As he sat down and started eating, Riku checked the clock. It was 6 a.m. The store was due to open in an hour.

When he finished eating, Riku watched everyone for a moment, then picked up a clean plate and began placing pancakes, eggs, and an orange on it. He then placed to plate on a tray along with a mug of hot chocolate. Behind him, Sora swiveled in his chair, saw what Riku was doing, and rolled his eyes.

"Delivering breakfast to _him_ again, Riku?" Riku didn't look up.

"He needs to eat too, Sora."

"Yeah, I know, but why do you have to baby him? He can get up like the rest of us, cant he?"

"Sora!" Riku glared at him.

Sora looked sheepish. "Sorry."

Roxas looked at his brother, than at Riku.

"You know, Sora has a point. How come we have to go out of our way to take care of him? He doesn't even help out at the store!"

"Whether he helps with the store or not, he's one of us, and he needs the same things we do."

"Fine. Whatever, but can you at least get him clean up the kitchen or mop a floor or something, rather than just lie around all day? I mean, I know you feel sorry for him, Riku, but this is pushing it."

Riku fixed Roxas with a frosty glare.

"When you're done eating, Roxas, do you mind counting the munny in the register? Xion did it yesterday," Riku said shortly. He picked up the tray and made his way upstairs to the third floor of the house, where only one room was occupied…

**AN: Okay, and that's the end of Chapter 1. Please review and tell me what you think. No flames please! Again, I apologize about the extensive number of characters I shoved at you in the very first chapter. I do that everytime. Thanks for reading! Wonder what'll happen in Chapter 2?**


	3. Chapter 2: Ebony and Ivory

**Disclaimer: _The following contains characters and elements from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs._**

**AN: And we're back! Hello! No reviews yet? Is my story really that bad? Oh, well. Time to continue! Only one new character introduced in this chapter, fortunately. And with that said, away we go! **

Chapter 2: Ebony and Ivory

Riku carried the tray along the hallway of the third floor, looking around, reminding himself that he really needed to make more of an effort to clean the place. The house might have a lot of people in it, but everyone living here tended to stick to the store and the first two floors. _He_ was the only one in the entire group who ever came up here, not to mention _lived _on this floor.

As he neared the end of the hallway, Riku made a mental note to himself to try a little harder to strike up a conversation with him that lasted longer than thirty seconds. He had lived here for a year and a half now, yet he was still a bit of an enigma.

Balancing the tray on one hand, Riku knocked on the last door in the hallway.

"Come in," a voice called. Riku opened the door and walked into the room, moving slowly as it was much darker in here than in the rest of the house. A hand closed softly around one of his wrists and guided him to a corner of the room where it was a little lighter, thanks to the partially open curtains in that area. The hand holding him let go, and Riku heard a chair sliding across the floor behind him until he could feel it against his legs.

"Sit down," the voice said again. Riku smiled as he carefully lowered himself down onto the chair behind him.

"Good morning, Vanitas."

With those words, the curtains over the window were roughly pulled back the rest of the way, showering the room with sunlight. Riku blinked and looked towards the window to see a boy staring at him. The boy had spiky hair similar to Sora's, and his face was very close in appearance to the other boy as well. However, where Sora's hair was brown, this boy's hair was a raven black, and his eyes, instead of blue, were a deep gold. He was dressed in a long sleeved, black shirt with dark red trim, black jeans, and black lace ups. He spoke with a hard, deep voice, as if he was older than what he looked.

"Xanderville, you're up early," he commented as he sat down on a bed next to the chair Riku was sitting on. Riku flinched at the use of his last name, but decided to ignore it for now and focus on the task at hand. He passed the tray he was holding to Vanitas.

"Here, I brought you something to eat."

"Thank you, Xanderville."

"I thought we agreed _not_ to use my surname," Riku growled. So much for focusing on the task at hand. Vanitas paused for a moment, choosing his words.

"We agreed not to use your surname in a public place, as it could attract unwanted attention. Your father was too well known." Vanitas took a sip of the hot chocolate Riku had brought him and glanced at the expression on the silverette's face.

"However, I am well aware of the fact that using your last name makes you…uncomfortable. If you don't want me to call you by your surname, then I won't. I have no interest in upsetting you, Riku Kye." Riku flinched again.

"Mind leaving out my middle name too?" Vanitas nodded.

"Very well, Riku."

Vanitas studied Riku's face for a moment. Then, without warning, he leaned over and closed one hand around Riku's wrist.

"Are you alright? You seem upset about something." Riku smiled. Was he _that _easy for Vanitas to read?

"What makes you thing something's wrong?"

"Your eyes are duller than they normally are," Vanitas observed. Riku raised an eyebrow at him. Vanitas shrugged and looked at Riku expectantly. Riku sighed.

"Sora and Roxas got on my case about you again. They think that I'm over indulging you by bringing your breakfast up here."

"Perhaps you are."

"What?"

"I have full use of both of my legs, not to mention both of my arms, and I'm not injured in any way, so, there's no tangible reason why you would need to come up here. You only do so because I told you when I first arrived here that I dislike being around too many people. In that regard, I've been selfish. I have also made no visible effort to assist in the running of that store of yours, nor in the upkeep of this house, all based on my excuse that I don't enjoy being around people. I appreciate your courtesy towards me, but it's unfounded. Anyone else would've thrown me out months ago." Vanitas smiled. Odd. His eyes were always so much lighter when he smiled. Riku smiled back.

"If I threw you out, not only would you end up dead thanks to those eyes of yours, Sora and Roxas would probably kill me."

"Why? They've known you much longer than they've known me."

"That doesn't matter, Vanitas Henderson. You're they're brother, always have been, always will be. Even if they both complain about you, they'd be devastated if something happened to you." Vanitas chuckled and released Riku's wrist.

"You win again. Very well. I'll do it."

Riku frowned. "Do what?"

"I'll help with your store. Some of your "employees" are next to worthless out there."

"You're going to help?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"Aren't you worried about how people will react to you, though?"

"I'm sure you'll hide me if I start feeling too threatened."

Riku laughed.

"That's settled, then. Let's go."

Riku stood up and moved towards the door.

"Where do you plan to put me?" Vanitas asked in mock worry as he moved to stand next to Riku.

"I don't think you'll do too much damage in the kitchen, right?"

"I suppose not."

"Good."

Riku looked at the clock on the wall. It was 6:10 a.m. He had talked, actually talked, with Vanitas for a full ten minutes! A new record!

Vanitas put a hand on Riku's shoulder and spun him around to face him.

"What's put you in such a bright mood all of a sudden?"

"Do you realize that in the amount of time we've known each other, that was the longest conversation we've ever had?"

"You weren't actually timing our conversation, were you?"

"Normally we only talk for less than a minute before we both clam up."

"Well, perhaps that's because there was never any real need to prolong the conversation before. We both know everything there is to know about each other."

Riku smirked and gave him a light shove. Vanitas stepped back, then forward again.

"You win again…Cosmos." Vanitas' voice had become deeper, more feral. Almost like a monster. His eyes had a strange reddish tinge to them.

Riku gazed at him. The normally sea foam green eyes had lightened to near transparency and were starting to glow. Riku smiled. When he spoke, his voice had become higher. Much higher. "I always do…Chaos."

Both boys suddenly clapped their hands to their faces, their eyes returned to normal, but momentarily blank. What had just happened? Had they both blacked out for a minute? Riku and Vanitas looked at each other, then shrugged and left the room.

**AN: Okay, what was that all about? Clearly, there's more to Riku and Vanitas than meets the eye, isn't there? Do you want to know what happens next? I wonder… Please review! Is there something I'm doing wrong? Let me know!**

**Thank you, Yue!**


	4. Chapter 3: Mastery Reached

_**Disclaimer: The following contains characters and elements from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs.**_

**AN: Okay, back again with chapter 3! Last chapter, we found out that Riku's full name is Riku Kye Xanderville, which for those of you who paid attention to the prologue, is a little interesting. Also, still recapping, we met Vanitas, Yay. Now, in this chapter, we meet a few more characters (yes, I know, more) and hopefully the pace is going to pick up a little! So without further ado, let's begin, shall we?**

Chapter 3: Mastery Reached

When Riku and Vanitas walked into the still unopened store, all activity stopped. That is, until Sora knocked over a display shelf full of stuffed animals. The boy immediately began to crawl around the floor, gathering as many of the toys as he could, and dropping a lot of them in the process.

Roxas scrambled to lift the shelf back into place and help Sora with the stuffed animals. Rhyme started laughing uproariously. Riku merely smiled.

"Vanitas is going to be helping me in the café kitchen today. Is the retail side ready to go?" "Everything's completely ready, on both sides," said a young woman in a short pink dress, her light pink hair pulled into a sideways ponytail.

Riku nodded. "Thank you, Serah. Alright, everyone in position. Vanitas, you'll be with me, Namine, and Serah in the kitchen. Xion, Arlene, Lea, and Myde are on the registers. Olette, Kairi, and Fujin, you will be waiting on the tables in the café side. Remember, if anyone asks, no we do not serve alcohol here in order to condone a safe environment for young children, ok? Luxord and Marluxia, you two will be at Customer Service. Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Pence, and Hayner, you five are on Disabled Customer Assistance. Neku, Beat, Joshua, Rhyme, Shiki, Even, Ienzo, Sora, Roxas, and RR, you'll all be on the floor."

Riku stared hard at Sora. "Sora, try not to break anything this time."

He then turned to RR. "And RR? DON'T. SCARE. ANYONE."

RR hissed.

Riku glared at him. "I'm serious! The last thing I need is another crying kid and an angry mother screaming in my face. Now, Seifer, Rai, Dilan, and Aeleus, you four will be on Security with"-

"-Me. Make sure your lackey there actually pays attention this time, Seifer."

A brown haired young man in his early twenties, dressed in dark blue, entered the store from outside. He nodded to Riku. "Hey, Kid."

Riku returned the nod. "Noel."

Noel stepped to one side. "Just thought you'd like to know, we have a visitor."

Mickey approached the group, smiling around at them. It was nice to see all of the New Order's most active members together. Even Vanitas was there. Mickey stepped into the center of the store as the New Order members circled around him.

He nodded to them all in greeting, and then turned to Riku.

"I have a message for you from Master Yen Sid."

Riku nodded, encouraging Mickey to continue. "What do you need, Master?"

"Master Yen Sid told me to inform you that there are still two volumes of _The Keyblade_ _War Historia_ missing. He wants you to go back to the ruins and find them."

"Tell Master Yen Sid he can consider it done."

"Thank you, Riku. Oh. Before I forget, I have a note for you, Riku. It's from Master Yen Sid and Master Guinness."

Riku started as Mickey pulled a small rolled up paper from one of his pockets and handed it to him. A note from both Master Yen Sid and his uncle? Was something wrong?

"Master Yen Sid said you might find the contents of that note interesting."

Mickey smiled. "Well, that's all I came here for. See ya, fellas."

Mickey turned on his heel and walked out as Riku unrolled the note.

Noel clapped his hands together. "Well, we've done salvage work before. It shouldn't be too difficult. I say we"-

_Crash!_ "Riku! Are you alright!?"

Everyone turned at the sound of Vanitas' yell, to see Vanitas struggling to pull Riku up off the floor. Noel darted forward and yanked Riku back onto his feet. He shook the boy's shoulders roughly. "What happened!?"

Vanitas picked up the note from where Riku had dropped it.

Riku looked like he was in shock. He leaned against Noel, who quickly wrapped an arm around him to better support him. Noel nodded towards Vanitas. "What does the note say?"

Vanitas looked down at the paper in his hands. "It says;

'_To Riku Kye Xanderville, Knight of The New Order of the X-Blade, from Order Masters Yen Sid, Mickey, and Guinness. We are pleased to inform you of your successful completion of The Mark of Mastery Examination. As soon as you are able, report to Master Yen Sid's Tower to receive your Mastery Key. Further, due to your unique Keyblade Affinity, as well as the difficult circumstances under which you were required to train, we have both a gift and a request for you. With that in mind, we would like you to meet us as soon as possible. Until then, congratulations, and well done, Master Riku. You have truly earned the title._

_Yours in all sincerity,_

_Master Yen Sid,_

_Master Mickey,_

_And your uncle, Master Guinness Xanderville.'_

Vanitas looked over at Riku and grinned. "Well, how about that? The New Order finally gets a Master that didn't carry the title over from the Original."

"About time, Ri," Lea called out.

Arlene reached over and gave Riku a light slap. "Oh come on. What are you so surprised for? We all knew you were going to get it first."

"Riku is a Master, Riku is a Master, Riku is a Master!" Myde and the majority of the younger members, including Riku's brothers and sisters, had joined hands in a circle and were bouncing around, declaring Riku's accomplishment at the top of their lungs, and probably waking up the rest of the neighborhood in the process.

Vanitas gently pulled Riku away from Noel and sat him on a chair on the café side of the store. Riku still looked stunned.

Vanitas softly rapped on Riku's head with his knuckles. "Still alive in there?"

Riku jumped. "Sorry, Vanitas. I guess I blanked out for a while."

"I noticed." Vanitas placed a hand on Riku's shoulder and squeezed affectionately. "It's funny, really. You're the one who succeeded, yet everyone else is doing all the cheering. Aren't you proud of yourself?"

"Well, I know my uncle will be,"-

"So would your father, if he was here. Your mother, too." Vanitas smiled warmly at Riku.

Riku suddenly stood up at hugged him, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Thank you, Vanitas. That means a lot."

Vanitas returned the hug and patted Riku's back. "You're welcome. After everything you've done and went through for me, I owe it to you. Besides, it's my job to cheer you up. I'm your partner, remember?"

Vanitas pulled away from Riku a little and the gold eyes met the green a second time that morning. " No matter what kind of trouble you get yourself into, I will always protect you, my dearest friend."

Riku smiled. "Aren't I the one who's supposed to say that to you?"

"Not this time, partner. Maybe next time."

**AN: I know, I know. Vanitas is completely OOC in this chapter! Okay, now can someone please let me know what they thought of this? Kinda difficult to work out any mistakes you're making on your own, you know. Anyway, leave a review. PLEASE!**


	5. Chapter 4: The Survivor

_**Disclaimer: The following contains characters and elements from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs.**_

_**AN: Hello, I'm back! Still no reviews, WHY?! No worries, I'm just kidding. Okay, just to clarify some of the relationships between characters: Riku, Xion, Neku, Beat, Joshua, and Rhyme are siblings. Hope (think FF13, I'm don't really want to add a description of him, as that'll take me longer, but I will if you guys ask me to), who was briefly mentioned in my last Chapter 1 update, is also their brother. Even and Fujin are brother and sister, and Riku's cousins. Kairi and Namine are twins and Ienzo is their older brother. Sora, Roxas, and Vanitas are brothers, though Sora and Roxas' relationship with Vanitas is strained. Very strained. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are triplets. Dilan and Lea are actually brothers. Oh, and Luxord and Arlene are twins. Current pairings are: RikuxNamine, SoraxKairi, RoxasxXion, MarluxiaxArlene, NekuxShiki, and NoelxSerah. Okay, I think that's everyone. Moving on!**_

_**Just a quick note, I'll be introducing Keyblades in this chapter. The Keyblade names are all in italics, 'kay?**_

Chapter 4: The Survivor

Riku couldn't stop staring at the new Keyblade he currently held in his hands. It was long and grey in color, with teeth in the shape of a sideways "E". This Keyblade told everyone in Twilight Town that the young Wielder had finally made it. He was a Master in The New Order of The X-Blade. Even better, Vanitas, who had gone with him when he went to see Master Yen Sid earlier, had been declared a Master as well! Riku was thrilled for Vanitas, as being declared a Master meant that the boy had been truly forgiven for his involvement in the incident at The Land of Departure twelve years ago. Now, if only a cure for Vanitas' condition could be found…

Riku pushed that unwanted thought out of his head. Vanitas would kill him if he thought Riku was thinking about _that_ again.

Smiling to himself, Riku twirled his new _Mastery Key_ once, and then it retracted until it fit into the palm of his hand. He then pulled a chain out from beneath his collar, and pinned the new weapon to it along with the three other Keyblades that were currently bound to him. This brought the total number of Keyblades he had in his possession to four, however, The _Mastery Key_ would only be used for important occasions, Uncle Guinness, no, _Master_ Guinness Xanderville, had made that point very clear.

Fortunately, Riku had two Keyblades that he used regularly and often, the primary one being his own _Way to the Dawn_. Riku unhooked his primary weapon from the chain around his neck and held it in his hand, ready to bring it into Combat Mode (**AN: When it becomes sword sized**) if there was any trouble.

The force shield that had been keeping the various crowds of Heartless, Nobodies, and Nightmares out of Twilight Town was growing weaker again, and everyone in town moved around armed, just in case.

After all of these years, what had happened in The Land of Departure was still fresh in everyone's minds, like a painful cut that just refused to heal. So many had been lost that day, Riku's parents and older brothers among them.

For many, the best way to move on had been not to think about it.

Vanitas had tried to isolate himself from everyone in a weird attempt at redemption. No one blamed him, though.

Who had expected Xehanort, a wise, well respected Master in The Order, to turn out of nowhere like that? Some things just never make any sense, no matter how much you learn.

A sudden scream snapped Riku out of his thoughts. That didn't sound good. Riku ran in the direction of the cry, bringing _Way to the Dawn_ into Combat Mode as he did. As he ran, his clothing began to glow with a soft, white light.

When the light faded, Riku was now dressed in a long white coat with a hood, tall white boots, and white gloves. A white chain was visible around his neck over his coat, and a white half circle with a black dot on one side hung from it.

Vanitas suddenly came up beside him, matching his pace. Instead of his normal attire, he was now in a long coat, boots and gloves that looked identical to the ones Riku was wearing, except they were black instead of white. A black chain was draped around Vanitas' neck, and on it was a black half circle with a white dot on the opposite side of where the black dot on Riku's necklace was located. In Vanitas' hand was his _Void Gear_ Keyblade.

It wasn't long before the two boys found the problem: a hulking Twilight Thorn had decided to take up residence in front of the mayor's house.

Sora and Roxas were already there, Sora's _Kingdom Key_ and Roxas' _Kingdom Key D_ easily visible by the oversized Nobody's feet.

Not too far away, Kairi and Xion were firing Fire spells at the creature's face, Kairi through her _Destiny's Embrace_ and Xion through her _Aubade_. Behind them, Namine had her _Spellbinder_ and was using it to send bursts of Thunder and Blizzard spells at it, while occasionally directing Cure spells at the two boys up front.

Seifer suddenly ran at it out of nowhere, dragging his oversized _Disciplinarian_ behind him, then brought it up and over his head like a baseball bat, knocking the Thorn onto its back, giving Sora and Roxas a chance to swipe at its head.

Riku glanced sideways at Vanitas before summoning his other primary Keyblade, _Substance Gear_ (**AN: Think **_**Void Gear**_**, but instead of black and red with a reptilian eye, white and sky blue with a wolf** **eye**), to his other hand.

Vanitas noted his partner's movements and summoned his second Keyblade, _Road to Dusk_ (**AN: Think **_**Way to the Dawn**_**, but the handle is flipped over and the coloring is darker**). It was time to even the odds a little.

Riku raised his two Keyblades over in his head in a slow, circling arc. As he did, he began to chant softly, _"Lady of Peace, Mistress of Light, guide my journey to morning bright. Harmony and Tranquility empower my hand, to bring hope and warmth back to this empty land. Law and Order reign supreme. Shut out the Darkness. Conquer the Night. Cosmos holds the will to set things right. From the lights in the sky I call upon thee, enforce Cosmos' law. The tool of The Lady of Harmony summons you now, enforce the law, let the Dark Ones pay for their crimes. Bahamut, come now!"_ (**AN: yeah, that was pathetic**)

At Riku's words, a storm cloud thundered overhead, and out of it burst a dark blue dragon with terrifyingly large wings. The monster was huge: its eye was bigger than Riku's entire body, and the rest of it was even larger.

The dragon extended its impressive wingspan as it hovered in the air and roared at the Thorn. The thing's mere presence was a clear insult to the dragon's master, he who had summoned it, and the ugly blight needed to be removed from the master's presence immediately.

Opening its mouth in a terrifying roar that sent almost everyone on the ground scrambling for cover, Bahamut's head reared back momentarily then shot forward, releasing a torrent of electricity down onto the Twilight Thorn, causing the thing to glow blue as it convulsed from the electricity raging through it.

Sparks from the shockwave accidentally connected with Seifer, Sora, and Roxas, but no harm came to the master's comrades; the electricity healed the three rather than injure them. As soon as the onslaught stopped, the Thorn jumped away, clearly trying to escape from its attacker, but Bahamut wasn't alone in its fight.

As soon as Bahamut was clearly visible in the sky above them, Vanitas flicked his two Keyblades towards the Thorn in an impatient jerk.

"_Ifrit, Light it Up!_" The boy shrieked. Seconds later, the ground behind the Thorn split open and out climbed a red, doglike creature that walked upright on two legs, while its clawed forearms swung close to the ground.

The thing roared angrily at the Thorn before pulling a flaming mass from the hole at its feet, and tossing it directly into the Nobody's face.

Before it even had time to shriek, Bahamut reminded it that the blue dragon was still there with another shockwave.

When Thorn turned back to face the dragon, Ifrit threw another fireball. Then Bahamut, then Ifrit, then back to Bahamut again. It was almost like a freakish game of monkey in the middle, except that the one in the middle was about to crumble into nothing in 3…2…1…Goodbye, Twilight Thorn.

"And that's why we have Summoners!" Sora crowed after the battle was won.

Seifer glared at the boy for a moment, and then swiped at him with his Keyblade, causing the younger teen to trip.

"Not funny, Seifer", Sora pouted.

Riku and Vanitas were sitting a short ways away from the others, their clothes now back to normal.

Riku's head rested on Namine's shoulder as the girl next to him lightly fingered his hair. Summoning Bahamut, or any other eidolon, for that matter, always took a lot out of him.

On Riku's other side, Vanitas was sprawled out on his back, clearly winded. Summoning Ifrit wasn't exactly a cakewalk either.

Next to Vanitas sat Ami, a girl who strongly resembled Namine, save for her long black hair and violet eyes. Her Keyblade _Cursemarker _was lying next to her, but at the moment, she was preoccupied with watching Vanitas struggling to breathe normally.

She frowned at him before reaching over and giving one of the boy's black spikes a light tug. Vanitas sat up and glared at her for a moment, then stood, pulling her up with him. Riku stood as well, then reached out a hand to help Namine. Both boys still looked exhausted.

"I think the Summoners need to go home and take a nap, they both look like they're going to drop," smirked Seifer.

"Oh, shut up, Seifer," Roxas growled.

Sora went over to Vanitas. "You know, Big Brother, Seifer might have a point. Maybe you and Riku should go and lie down for a while. We'll stay put and clean up."

Vanitas' lips pulled into a small smile. "Alright, if it makes you and Roxas feel better."

Riku smiled. "I'll go ahead and head home, too. Hope should be back by now, and Noel and Serah probably dropped off those last two books for Master Yen Sid already."

Namine stared at him, concerned. Cautiously, the girl's gentle hands reached out for her other half.

"Will you be okay going back by yourself? Maybe I should come with you in case you're hurt."

Riku smiled at her before gently looping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "I'm fine, Nami, but you can come if you want." Namine nodded and grasped Riku's hand.

Next to them, Ami stared at Vanitas for a minute then seized his arm in a vice like grip. Vanitas winced. "Ouch, Ami. That hurts."

Ami shrugged and tugged on his arm, pulling the dark haired teen after Riku and Namine, who were already walking away.

The four teens stopped just before they arrived back home in order to buy something to eat and rest for a minute. As he sat beside Namine, quietly eating the sandwich he bought, Riku smiled in acknowledgement of every single person who waved at him.

It was his duty to do so, after all, and he was highly conscious of it. He just wished it didn't make him feel like such a clown when he did this. Was it alright for him to feel this way? Is this what his father would've expected of him? Riku wasn't sure, and since his father was gone, he had no way of knowing.

Sighing, Riku stood and walked a short distance to a public trashcan to throw away the wrapper of his sandwich. The can was situated at the entrance to an alleyway. As he threw the paper into the can, Riku momentarily glanced into the alleyway ahead of him, and froze, a look of pure alarm spreading slowly across his face.

When Riku cried out, Vanitas, Namine, and Ami all jumped to their feet and ran to him, as did some passersby who the three then had to shoo away.

Namine hugged her other half to make sure he was alright while Vanitas gripped his shoulder. Ami followed Riku's gaze and her jaw dropped.

"Riku, what happened? Are you hurt?" Vanitas looked into Riku's face anxiously.

Riku didn't seem to realize that he and Namine were there. He just stood there.

Namine rubbed Riku's back in an effort to calm him.

In the end, it was Ami who broke the confused silence. "Vanitas, look there. Is that Roxas?"

Vanitas turned and all four of them walked into the alleyway. There, slumped against a wall, was a badly battered blonde boy who looked almost identical to Roxas.

Ami stared at the boy, confused. "Why's Roxas here? I thought he stayed back by the mayor's house with Sora."

"He did. That's not Roxas," Namine replied.

Vanitas crouched down in front of the boy to get a better look at him.

Riku swallowed slowly, and then looked at Namine. "Nami, I think it might be-"

Vanitas suddenly gave a loud yelp, his golden eyes wide with fear and alarm. "V-Ventus?! H-He's alive?!"

**AN: And that's a wrap for now! Ventus is now in the picture, but wait, what about what happened in the Prologue? This is getting weird, and I'm the one who wrote it! What on earth happens next? You want to know, don't you? Read and review please. I need to know what on earth I'm doing, and you guys are the only ones who can tell me. So please, be a hug worthy friend and help me out here.**


	6. Chapter 5: The Past Diaster: First Link

_**Disclaimer: The following contains characters and elements from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs.**_

_**AN: Hellooo! I have returned from my extended absence to bring you a new chapter to this odd story of mine. By the way, Hazama-Chan! THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEW! You are truly a hug worthy friend! I'm Serious. THANK YOU! While I'm here, I'd like to leave a note of encouragement, and thanks, to a few of my favorite authors on this site. Vanitas-Of-Darkness, Alieraa, Slaycinder, I'm talking to you three! Alieraa, you ought to change your pen name to Master of All Things Adorable, because you are! Slaycinder, your level of originality is as inspiring as it is refreshing! Vanitas-Of-Darkness, thanks for tolerating me when I first joined the site. You were awesome. Can't thank you enough! Okay, I think I'm inspired now. Onwards!**_

Chapter 5: The Past Disaster: First Link

"_Vanitas! Where are you?" _

"_Here, Ventus." _

_Ventus turned to see his twin brother standing behind him, secluded within the shadows like he always was. _

_The blonde boy shook his head at his darker-haired twin. "Vani, why are you hiding out here again? Master Eraqus is looking for you." _

_Vanitas turned away from his brother. "I don't see why he should be. I'll just cause another accident if I go to training today. I don't even understand why Master Eraqus and the others insist on teaching me anyway. I don't fit into any of the Wielder Affinities. I'm not strong enough to break a rock wall like Terra can. I'm not as fast on my feet as you are, and while I can do magic fairly well, I'm not an expert like Aqua Reyes is. Then there's the problem with my 'pets' to account for-" _

"_Vanitas, quit whining and get down to the training courtyard already, will you? Master Eraqus keeps telling you that it's not a big deal that you don't know your affinity yet. It's not your fault if the Masters haven't found the right fit for you." "That's not what I-" _

"_Ventus Henderson, have you found your brother yet?" Ventus turned to see a young man with long, blueish hair and dressed in a purple coat watching him with a cold smile on his face. _

_Ventus scowled. "No, I haven't actually, Setzer, and even if I had, why would I tell you where Vanitas was? You're the reason why he goes off and hides like this in the first place!" _

_Setzer stretched languidly, continuing to smile at the younger Henderson twin. "It' not my fault your brother is such an oddity, Ventus. If those strange, unsightly eyes of his weren't eerie enough, the fact that some impish little monster appears and goes on a rampage every time he frowns at someone doesn't help matters." _

"_And you and the others wonder why he never shows up for training." _

"_Actually, no, I don't wonder, and I certainly don't care, either. Your so called 'brother' is a monster in a human's skin, and he ought to be either wiped off the face of the earth or be locked up. The entire Land of Departure would probably sleep better at night if he was gone. I know I certainly would." _

"_Setzer!"_

Vanitas sat up with a sharp gasp, his face covered in a thin layer of sweat. He hadn't had a dream about his old life in a while. No, correct that. He hadn't _let_ himself dream about his old life. The Land of Departure was gone, its people scattered after being reduced to mere bands of refugees wandering aimlessly. But with Ventus back-

Vanitas shook himself roughly. It was no good letting his thoughts go in _that_ direction. Ventus had shown no sign of leaving his comatose state, and even if he did, he'd probably hate Vanitas with everything he had. And why shouldn't he hate him? After all, if it hadn't been for Vanitas, Ventus would've-

A soft groan and the sound of movement close by startled him out of his thoughts. He turned and found himself staring right at Riku's sleeping face. Vanitas jumped backwards. Why was he in Riku's room while his partner was asleep? Oh, that's right. When the group had brought Ventus to their home and Serah had confirmed Ventus' current state, it had led to short lived argument over where to put the unconscious boy, seeing as how there were already more residents in the place than there should've been.

Since the only occupied room on the third floor was Vanitas', many of the group thought it would be a good idea to put Ventus in one of the empty rooms up there. This half-thought out suggestion had caused Riku's face to turn an interesting shade of red, as the only occupied room on the third floor was also the only _clean _room on the third floor. The rest of the place looked like it had hadn't seen a duster in years!

Vanitas, therefore, both to save Riku from embarrassment and to make sure his own opinion on the matter wasn't overlooked, had put his foot down and decided that his brother would stay in his room until the blond woke.

Riku then decided that this arrangement wasn't fair to Vanitas, who had essentially banished himself from his own room, and offered to let the raven haired boy share _his_ room.

Which is why Vanitas now found himself sitting on a spare mattress on the floor of Riku's bedroom, with the silverette lying in his own bed a short distance away, sound asleep.

Vanitas glanced at the alarm clock on Riku's bedside table. The clock read 2 am, a good four hours before he was supposed to get up. _Why_ couldn't he have just stayed asleep?

Riku groaned in his sleep again and rolled onto his back. Vanitas sighed and stood up. Walking silently over to Riku's bed, he cautiously lowered himself onto the edge of it and looked at his partner's sleeping face.

Riku looked peaceful for once, all of the things he had to worry about on a daily basis out of mind for the moment.

As Riku's head turned slightly to face Vanitas, the ravenette reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of silver behind Riku's ear where it belonged.

His hand lingered for a moment on Riku's face, before he abruptly turned and dived back onto his mattress, burying his head in the spare blankets Riku had given him.

The silverette had no idea what he meant to Vanitas, how special he was to him. The others didn't entirely trust him yet, and Vanitas knew it. Knew it, but didn't care.

As long as Riku, his charge, his hope, was kept safe, whole, and happy, Vanitas didn't care about what anyone, not even Ventus, thought of him. Riku was Vanitas' last hope of ever being happy, and the poor silverette was completely oblivious of that fact.

_**AN: What a way to end it! Poor Vani, what is going on inside your head? Anyway, that's another chapter done, finally, and I have an itty bitty announcement to make. I will begin posting other stories soon. The question is: Which one do you guys want to read first? I'm going to put the basic summary of each new story in the making up on my profile, so let me know which one you want in either a review or a PM, 'kay? Reviews earn a hug and a cookie! **_


	7. Chapter 6: A Strange Place, and The Lady

_**Disclaimer: The following contains characters and elements from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs.**_

_**AN: Hello! I'm back! Okay, well at the moment, it looks like the only one who's voted so far is my dear friend, Vanitas-of-Darkness, ( who is a truly wonderful human being) so, the votes are currently tallied as follows:**_

_**Forever Crescent: 1**_

_**Brothers in Arms: 1 (Did I mention that you can vote for as many as you want? I thought I did)**_

_**Family?!: 0**_

_**A Prince or a Pauper?: 0**_

_**Test of the Heart: 0**_

_**Guardians of the Other World: 0**_

_**The first chapter of Brothers in Arms is ready to go, and I'm still working through some of the details for Forever Crescent. However, those of you who haven't voted yet, (Yue, Hazama-Chan, I'm talking to you ) there is still time, so stop your dilly dallying, 'kay? Alright, here we go.**_

Chapter 6: A Strange Place, and the Lady of Harmony

Where was he? That was the first question to pop into his mind after who knows how long. The last thing he remembered was his brother's shouting. Those shouts had been filled with unbelievable pain and anguish. Worry filled him. What had happened to him? Where was his brother? What happened to -

"Vani!" The blonde haired boy jolted upright to find himself sitting on a slightly rumpled bed in an unfamiliar room. The walls were bare and beige in color, yet difficult to see due to the heavy curtains blocking the window. There was carpet on the floor, and a nightstand next to the bed, but not much else. One thing the boy was sure of, though, was that this was definitely _not_ his room in the Land of Departure.

"Well, there's only one step to take at the moment."

The boy hopped out of the bed and checked himself for injuries. To his surprise, any and every cut, bruise, or scrape he had had been cleaned and neatly bandaged in a way that reminded him of his old friend Aqua. Even his clothing had been washed and mended! Whoever it was that had saved him, they had done an amazing job.

Sounds coming from outside of the bedroom door caused the boy to look up, startled out of his thoughts. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to assume that he was safe _quite_ yet. Summoning his beloved Keyblade _Wayward Wind_ to his hand, the boy approached the door cautiously as the sounds grew louder, arm raised and ready to strike if the source of the noise proved to be a threat. The door was suddenly pushed back from the outside-

The blonde boy couldn't believe his eyes. Standing there was a pale boy with spiky black hair and golden eyes dressed entirely in black. He looked a little surprised, but also relieved. The blonde stepped back a pace. He felt dizzy all of a sudden.

"V-Vanitas?"

Vanitas' thin lips slowly pulled into a small smile, one that looked like it wasn't used to being there.

"Ventus. You're okay. Welcome home, Little Brother." Vanitas looked around their surroundings and shrugged.

"Well, welcome to your new home, at least."

Riku wasn't sure what had happened to him. One minute he had been sitting quietly in his room, or meditating, as his uncle called it, and the next thing he knew, he opened his eyes and found himself in the strangest, yet most beautiful place he had ever seen in his life, and that included his memories of his old home. What was this place?

The ground below his feet was covered with water everywhere he looked, yet the water never went above his ankles. The sky above was a rich, vibrant, cyan blue littered with soft, puffy, white clouds drifting lazily by. The tranquil trill of birdsong was the only sound he heard. The air was the cleanest and the sweetest that he had ever breathed. Only one thing seemed off to him, but not by much. The sky above him was crisscrossed with long lines of soft green light branching in every direction. The lights were brimming in power, Riku could feel it in the very marrow of his bones, yet they weren't a threat.

"_Riku."_

Riku whirled around, startled. What was that? Did someone call him?

"_Riku. Come here." _

There it was again. The voice was soft, distinctly feminine, and barely above a whisper, yet it was lyrical and full of life. However, it also carried with it an undertone that was brimming with an intense power that nearly made Riku fall to his knees simply by hearing it. Who did he know that had a voice like that? No one, of that he was sure.

"_Riku. Come here, little one."_

"What?"

"_Come along, child. I'm here. I'm waiting for you."_

"Who are you? How do you know my name? What do you want with me?"

"_Riku, come here. I'm waiting for you."_

Riku bit his lip and spun on his heel, unsure of what to do. He had noticed that every time the voice spoke, the water on the ground, the clouds in the sky, the green lines of light, all of it seemed to pulse and vibrate with each word the voice said. Who alive had so much power that they could affect the environment simply by speaking?

Riku was terrified.

"_I know you're frightened, dear heart, and I know you're confused. It's all right. Come. You have nothing to fear from this place, and nothing to fear from me. I simply want to speak to you. Come here."_

Riku felt a strange sensation tugging on him, pulling him towards what he assumed to be the source of the voice. He felt a soothing, comforting warmth envelope him. One that quickly wiped away any thoughts of resisting that he had. Riku moved in the direction he was being guided to, and found himself walking to a small, circular, white dais raised shortly above the ground. What Riku saw next nearly made his jaw drop and his heart clench.

Seated on a low, backless, stool on the dais was the most_, incredible_, woman he had ever seen. Tall, with porcelain skin, eyes the same exact shade of cyan blue as the sky above them, framed by locks of long, golden hair that floated softly around her face with their own energy. She was dressed in a long, snugly fitted, green colored gown that left her arms and shoulders bare while covering everything else. Her feet were hidden, due to the length of the gown around them. Gold wristbands decorated the space just above her delicate, long fingered hands. A long wrap of what could only be described as gold silk was draped elegantly around her forearms and behind her back. She smiled at Riku as he came close.

"_It's good to finally speak to you face to face, my dearest Riku."_

"Who are you?"

"_Don't be alarmed. I mean you no harm. Call me Cosmos."_

"Cosmos?"

"_That's right, my little one."_

Riku's heart skipped. Cosmos? _The_ Cosmos? That was impossible! All of the books he had read during his training stated that many Keyblades drew their power from a force known to the Keyblade Wielders as Cosmos, or The Force of Light and Harmony. According to what he'd read, it was this harmonic force that gave all Keyblades the power to repel Darkness and banish the Heartless, Nobodies, and Nightmares from The Realm of Light. But this force was just that, a force! How could Cosmos be a person?

"_I am not a person, child. What you read in your books was all true."_

"You're the force that powers all Keyblades?! How? I-I don't"

"_I am The Lady of Light and Harmony, little one, and the force that guides your Keyblades' power. However, I don't guide all of them, as you seem to assume."_

"But if you're not an actual person, then how-?"

"_I am an entity that can only be seen in this form by those with the heart to do so. I am visible to you due to the strength of your heart and mind."_

Smiling, Cosmos stood up from her stool and stepped towards Riku, who wasn't sure whether to stay where he was, move closer to her, or run. He wanted to do all three.

As if sensing his indecision, Cosmos glided up to him and placed a soft, gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. That swarm, comforting sensation closed around Riku a second time, and he found himself staring up at her, waiting for her to say something to him.

"_I need you to pay close attention to me now, child, as your test has only just begun."_

"Test?"

"_Hush, dear heart. Listen. I am afraid that the trials you must face are not yet over."_

Cosmos smiled sadly at the boy before her.

"_My dear Riku, Fate has dealt you a poor hand, but you will overcome it, and I will be there to help and guide you, as I always have ."_

"Guide me? Why would you-?"

" _The past has a way of catching up with the present, and soon, the ones that you have loved and lost will return to you. However, your enemies are strong, and appear at the least expected time, and in the least expected way. You are a Summoner, Riku, a rare brand of Keyblade Wielder that was thought to have died out centuries ago. Your Partner Vanitas is also a Summoner, and for that he was an outcast amongst his own kind."_

Riku nodded and lowered his head. He knew what many of the members of The Old Order had put Vanitas through twelve years ago . They hadn't understood his abilities. They hadn't understood _him._ For that reason, his own comrades had marked him as a sort of monster. One of Vanitas' biggest problems at that time had been his accidental summoning of his Unversed whenever he was upset or angry. He could control that side effect of his powers now, but back then, he had been digging his own grave every time someone pulled a prank or teased him. Not like Riku's situation was any better, of course. He summoned creatures whenever someone upset him too, but let's face it; Spirits aren't nearly as threatening as Unversed. They're also a lot more cuddly. It was just one of the many differences between Vanitas' summoning abilities and his own. Speaking of which-

"L-Lady Cosmos? May I ask you something?"

"_Of course, little one."_

"Vanitas and I are of the same Keyblade Affinity, yet our abilities are different. He summons Unversed when he's angry, and I summon Spirits. His Unversed are frightening, while my Spirits look about as threatening as a pile of stuffed animals. Even when we summon the same eidolon, mine differs from his. My Bahamut is blue and spits lightning. His is red and breathes fire. When I summon one, I have to either chant or sing a long, complicated incantation. Sometimes, depending on the one I'm summoning, I even have to dance. All Vani has to do is stamp on the ground and yell. Why are we both so different?"

Cosmos smiled.

"_Pay attention, little one. The reason is simple. Earth and Sky. Fire and Ice. Sun and Rain. Sound and Silence. Love and Hate. War and Peace. Darkness and Light. Harmony and Discord. Cosmos…and Chaos."_

_**AN: Aaaaaand, that's a wrap for now! Yue, I know you want to read more about what happened to Vani, but I can't put that in quite yet. Maybe next chapter, if you vote anyway. Hee hee. I'm kidding. Next chapter, 'kay? Be patient. In the meantime, if there any Batman fans out there, I've added a possible Batman fic to my voting lineup. PM or review to vote! And if you do plan on voting, you might want to hurry up some 'kay? I don't wanna keep Vanitas-of-Darkness waiting for too much longer. At the moment, she's one of the only three *official* friends I have on this site. (I'd say four, but I'm not sure if Dark Hikari Twilight considers me a friend or a nuisance, so I'll say nothing)Anyway, bye for now! Reviews get a hug and a cookie!**_


	8. Chapter 7: The Curse

_**Disclaimer: The following contains characters and elements from Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy, TWEWY, and some OCs. I own nothing but the idea and the OCs.**_

_**AN: Hi, everybody! Missed me? No? Okay, that's fine. Last time, we met Cosmos, oh, and Ventus is awake! That didn't take too long, did it? Anyway, sorry it's been so long, I've got work, and schools back in, you guys know how that goes. Anyway, our current voting line-up is:**_

_**Forever Crescent: 1**_

_**Brothers in Arms: 2**_

_**Family?!: 0**_

_**A Prince or a Pauper?: 0**_

_**Test of the Heart: 0**_

_**Guardians of the Other World: 0**_

_**BatClan 2.0: 0**_

_**Chronicles of the DEVA: 0**_

_**Okay, now that that's out of the way, Moving On! In this chapter, Ven and Vani are going to have a rather…enlightening conversation. This chapter is dedicated to you, Yue!**_

_**!WARNING! A section in this chapter contains a brief description of suicide. Read at your own discretion. The section will be marked as so: !WARNING! (When you see that, then you know what's coming.**_

Chapter 7: The Curse

"_Vanitas, you can't let Setzer get to you. You know what he and the others are like. Just bide your time and ignore them. They'll come around eventually." _

"_And how exactly do you expect me to do that, Ven? You heard what Setzer said. I'm an oddity. I've been an oddity ever since we came to live here. I'm not an ideal Wielder. I don't fit."_

"_Just because the Masters can't decide how to train you doesn't mean that you don't fit, Vani. You're just a little…different from everyone else. It's not a bad thing." _

"_Why am I not reassured by your words?" _

"_Vanitas, we will figure this out. Watch and see. The Masters are going to figure out which Affinity you belong to. You'll train under your proper Master and become one yourself, just like anyone else in The Order." _

"_You really believe that?" _

"_I always have. Things will get better, Vani. I promise." _

Ventus stared hard at the figure standing in front of him. There was no doubt about. It was his brother Vanitas, alive and healthy. A grin slowly spread onto Ventus' face. Without warning, he darted forward and wrapped his arms around his twin's neck. "Vani! You're alright!"

Vanitas placed his hands on his brother's shoulders and gave a low chuckle. "Yes. I'm here, and you're safe. I'm glad you're back, Ven."

Ventus frowned and pulled away from slightly away from Vanitas. "I'm back? Back from where?"

Vanitas looked sorrowful. "You mean you don't remember? Master Xehanort went rogue and attacked The Land of Departure. Every Keyblade Wielder that got too close to him ended up on a one way trip to the Realm of Darkness, to never get out again. The Order was nearly wiped out."

Ventus bit his lip and fought back tears as the memories of that horrid day came back to him. He could see it as clearly as if it had only just happened moments ago: Civilians running in panic, children crying and screaming for their parents, Wielders, people he had known for more than half of his life, people he was friends with, being cut down before his very eyes. And in the middle of it all, clearly pleased with the destruction he had caused, was Xehanort.

Ventus gazed into his brother's face. The last time the twins had been together, Xehanort had cast some sort of spell that had warped Vanitas' mind. The sixteen year old Wielder had completely lost control and had assisted in the destruction of their world. When Ventus had tried to stop him…well, he didn't really want to think about that right now. Then, Vanitas had been in a near constant state of depression, due to the way The Order had been treating him. Now, he looked…different.

Vanitas grinned, then lifted a hand to snap his fingers in his twin's face. "Hey Ven, still alive in there?"

Ventus shook his head, then returned the grin. "Yeah, I'm with you." Turning his head to better take in his new surroundings, Ventus gazed at the hallway around him. It looked nothing at all like the hallways in his old dormitory at The Land of Departure. "So Vani, where exactly are we?"

Vanitas forced a smile and beckoned to his brother to follow him down the hall. "Right now, we're in Twilight Town."

"Twilight Town? Never heard of it."

"That's because it didn't exist until twelve years ago. When The Land of Departure was destroyed, all of the survivors fled to Master Yen Sid's Tower, and built a new town at the base of it. We've all lived here ever since. Well, those of us who decided to stay here, anyway. Some took off in the hope of finding their lost loved ones. Others left because they wanted to scratch what happened out of their lives and completely start over in a new town. A few of the ones who went in that direction even went so far as to change their names and leave everything they owned behind. Most of us stayed here, though. Safety in numbers and all that."

"What do you mean by that?"

"After the disaster, Xehanort announced the existence of Keyblade Wielders to all of the worlds, told them about The Order and everything we did to protect them, then bragged about how he had destroyed us. No one believed his story at first, but then The Heartless came."

"The Heartless?"

"Monsters born from the darkness extracted from people's hearts that continue their existence by feeding off said hearts. Let me tell you right now, brother, my Unversed are cute and cuddly compared to those things. Another bunch to watch out for are the Nobodies."

"Nobodies?"

"When a person with a strong will loses their heart, the shell left behind takes on a life of its own. Those things have no hearts and no feelings, but they can and will pretend that they do. Finally, there's the Nightmares. Funny looking little things that remind me more of my Unversed than anything else. One difference though; my Unversed respond to _my_ negative emotions, while Nightmares respond to _everyone's_."

"Sounds like things have been anything but quiet around here."

"I'm not even at the best part yet, Ven."

"Really? What's the best part?"

"Xehanort been really busy reeling in new Keyblade Wielders with the promise of teaching them, only to subject them to a series of tortures designed to extract every last shred of light out of their hearts."

"He's doing WHAT?!"

"Most of those poor kids end up dead by the end of it. The few that manage to survive, though, become Dark Keyblade Wielders, about as evil and nasty as Xehanort himself. The odds are stacked pretty high against us on this one."

Ventus put out an arm, stopping Vanitas, then turned to face his brother. "Please tell me that The Masters haven't just been watching all of this happen? They've been fighting him, right?"

Vanitas sighed. "Well, you see Ven, that's where the problem is. Most of The Masters were thrown into the Realm of Darkness with you and everybody else. Master Eraqus, Master Reyes, Master Carlotta, they're all gone. Master Yen Sid is still here because he was in his tower during the attack, seeing to his student's Mark of Mastery Exam, and didn't find about what happened until the refugees started coming. Master Guinness and Master Latchette, Master Eraqus' brother and wife, respectively, were the only Masters who got out of there alive. Master Guinness was the one who led the refugees here. He's the Mayor of Twilight Town these days. As for Master Latchette, she was here at first, but as soon as Twilight Town was set up, she grabbed her and her husband's kids and disappeared. She was part of the group that left to try and start over. She settled in a small town on a place called Destiny Islands, and died there about two years later. Suicide."

_**!WARNING!**_

"Master Latchette is dead?!"

"Local police in the area found her dead in her kitchen ten years ago. She had waited for her kids to go to school or the local nursery, then stuck her head in the oven."

_**Warning over. I did say it was brief.**_

"How did they find her?"

"The kids came home. It was the oldest boy who saw her first and called the police. The poor kid was only seven."

Ventus turned his gaze away from his brother, trying to process all of the information he had received. Then, a thought struck him as he remembered what his brother had said. "Vani, you said the attack was twelve years ago? Then how are you still, you know, a kid? We were sixteen when the attack happened. I know why I'm still the same; time doesn't exist in the Realm of Darkness, and the age you are when you go in is the same age you are if you manage to get out. But you, Vani, you've been here in the Realm of Light this whole time, right? You ought to be, what, twenty-eight by now? So why are you still-?"

"I'm cursed."

"What?!"

"I'm cursed, Ven. I can't grow. I can't age. I'm stuck at sixteen, and probably will be for the rest of my life."

"How?"

"It was during the attack, after I…after I threw you into the Realm of Darkness. Master Eraqus tried to bring me back to my senses, the same way you did. When I failed to respond, he put a curse on me."

"_Vanitas Henderson…I cast this curse…on you now. Your crimes…truly terrible. If you are…not…forgiven…you will not grow…for as long as you live."_

"I've been like this ever since. I can't age again until I'm forgiven."

"By who?"

"I…I don't know, Ven. I honestly don't know."

_**AN: Aaannd that's a wrap for now! Lot of info in this chapter, and the plot is finally in place! So, who do you guys think is the one who can break Vanitas' curse? Take a guess! See you later!**_

_**Reviews get a hug and a cookie, so be a hug-worthy friend and review please!**_


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